Hair cutting device



' May 3, 1938.

F. M. WAITE HAIR CUTTING DEVICE Filed Sept. 10, 1936 //vz /v 70;? FredM. W} dite y M 27% flTTQRA/EY Patented May 3, 1938 UNETED STATES PATENTOFFICE HAIR CUTTING DEVICE Fred Waite, Saranac Lake, N. Y. ApplicationSeptember 10, 1036, Serial No. 100,076 6 Claims. (01. so-so) Myinvention more particularly relates to a device for thinning the hair,although it will, of course, be understood that it may be used for otherhair cutting operations.

One of the objects of my invention is the provision of a device of theforegoing character which in its preferred form, comprises two membersonly; a clamping element which is adapted to be secured to the back of acomb and frictionally secured thereon and which is provided with asocket in which a cutting element is disposed and also frictionallysecured. The device is therefore simple and cheap to manufacture and Ihave found that the same is very effective in operation. H p

A further object of my invention is the provision of a hair cuttingdevice in which the c1amping element is readily secured to'and detachedfrom the back of a comb, and in which the cutting element is readilysecured within and detachable from the clamping element.

A'still further object of my invention is a novel formof cutting bladewhich,'while particularly useful in a device of the foregoing character,may also be. used as a razor blade or for other purposes.

Other objects of my invention will appearin the specification and thenovel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

My invention will best be understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawing in which I have illustrated a preferred embodiment thereof andin which Fig. 1 is a plan view of a comb on which is secured a cuttingdevice embodying my invention;

' Fig. 2 is a plan view of the clamping element which is secured to thecomb;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the cutting blade embodying my invention;

Fig.4.- is an enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of the clampingelement and the cutting blade secured therein, and

Fig. 5 is a section taken along the plane of the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the drawing.

Referring to the drawing, I is a comb to which the hair cutting deviceembodying my invention may be secured. The cutting device, indicatedgenerally at il in Fig. 4, comprises a clamping element 52 and a cuttingelement l3. The clamping element I2, which is formed of a material suchas semi-hard, cold, rolled steel and which has suflicient resiliency forthe purpose hereinafter described, is shaped to engage and be secured tothe back of the comb and is generally U-shaped in form as best indicatedin Fig. 5. V The legs BI and I32 of the clamping element frictionallyengage opposite sides of the comb and as the legs are so shaped as to beunder tension when in position on the comb, the clamping element isfrictionally secured on the comb.

The free edge of the leg I3! is provided with a plurality of tongues l4some of which are'bent in one direction away from the comb when theclamping element is positioned thereon and others of which are bent awayfrom the comb in the opposite direction thereby forming a socket l5(Fig. 5) for the reception of the cutting element l3. Preferably, thetongues are alternately bent in opposite direction to form the socket asillustrated.

The bases of the tongues are preferably offset, those which are bent inone direction away from the comb being offset in a given direction whilethose which are bent in the opposite direction are offset in theopposite direction thereby forming a ledge at the bottom of the socketagainst which the inner edge of the cutting blade l3 may rest. The uppercurved portion I33 of the clamping element is preferably provided with aplurality of reinforcing ribs I! as best indicated in Fig. 2. It will,of course, be understood that the clamping element may be formed withsuitable dies as are the ribs which are formed thereon. The reinforcingribs I! impart to the clamping element sufficient strength to preventthe same from opening up when it is subjected to the tension under whichit is placed when the clamping element is placed under tension byforcing it over the back of the comb.

The cutting blade I3 is preferably formed at its ends with projectionswhich extend outwardly beyond the clamping element when in position onthe comb thereby providing a means by which the cutting blade may bemanipulated in its insertion and removal from the socket of the clampingelement, thereby enabling the user to avoid cuts while manipulating thesame which might otherwise occur. The free ends of the tongues I 4 arepreferably flared outwardly at their ends as at I4! thereby facilitatingthe easy insertion of the blades within the socket.

Preparatory to use, a blade is inserted in the socket of the clampingelement in the manner heretofore indicated by the user grasping theprojections l8 on the blade and then forcing the same between theoppositely directed tongues into the socket. The clamping element isthen forced over the end of the comb where it is frictionally held dueto the pressure exerted against the sides of said comb by the tongues I4and the legs I32 which are under tension. For a thinning operation forwhich the device is particularly suited, the user passes the combthrough a suitable amount of hair, and the cutting blade which is placedon the side of the comb facing the direction of movement thereof, seversa portion of the hair, the amount of which depends upon whether theblade is placed over the coarse or the fine portion of the comb and uponthe distance of the cutting edge of the blade from the ends of the teethof the comb.

While I have described my invention in its preferred embodiment, it isto be understood that the words which I have used are words of deyscription and not of limitation and that changes within the purview ofthe appended claims may be made without departing from the true scopeand spirit of my invention in its broader aspects.

What I claim is:

1. In a hair cutting device, a clamping element generally U-shaped inform andshap'ed to engage the back of a comb and the legs of which areengageable with the opposite sides of said comb, said element beingcomposed of resilient material, the free edge of one of said legs beingprovided with tongues some of which are bent in one direction from thecomb and others of which are bent in the opposite direction therefromwhen in position thereon, thereby forming a socket in which a cuttingblade may be received.

2. In a hair cutting device, a clamping element generally U-shaped inform and shaped to engage the back of a comb and the legs of which areengageable with opposite sides of said comb when in position thereon,said element being composed of resilient material, the free edge of oneof said legs being provided with tongues bent alternately in oppositedirections away from said comb when in position thereon thereby forminga socket for the reception of a cutting blade.v g

3. In a hair cutting device, a clampingelement generally U-shaped inform and shaped to engage the back of a comb and the legs of which areengageable with opposite sides of a comb when in position thereon, saidelement being composed of resilient material, the free edge of one ofsaid legs being provided with tongues bent alternately in oppositedirections away from said comb when in position thereon and ofiset attheir bases in alternate directions thereby forming a socket in which acutting blade may be received and a ledge against which an edge of saidblade may rest.

4. In a hair cutting device, a clamping element generally U-shaped inform and shaped to engage the back of a comb and the legs of which areengageable with the opposite sides of a comb, said element beingcomposed of resilient material, the free edge of one of said legs beingprovided with tongues some of which are bent away from said comb in onedirection and others of which are bent away therefrom in the oppositedirection when "said element is in position on said comb. therebyforming a socket for the reception of a cutting blade, the free ends ofsaid tongues being flared outwardly away from said comb when the latteris in position within said socket thereby facilitating the insertion ofsaid blade therein.

5. In combination, a comb, a hair cutting device secured thereto andcomprising a clamping element generally U-shaped in form and shaped toengage the back of a comb and be secured thereto and the legs of whichare engageable with opposite sides of said comb when secured in positionthereon and said element being composed of resilient material, the freeedge of one of said legs being provided with tongues alternately bentaway from said'comb in opposite direction when in position thereon andforming a socket in which a cutting blade is receivable, and a cuttingblade frictionally secured in position in said socket.

6. A hair cutting device comprising a clamping element generally Ushaped in form and shaped to engage and be secured to the backof a comband the legs of which are engageable with the opposite sides of saidcomb when positioned thereon, one of said legs being provided withtongues bent in opposite directions away from said comb to form' asocket for the reception of a cutting blade, the bases of said tonguesbeing offset from said comb in opposite directions to form a ledgeagainst which the inner edge of said blade may be seated.

FRED'M. WAITE.

